16 City Employees Nabbed for Stealing City's Copper

Sixteen city employees have been charged with stealing copper, because hey, it was there for the taking, we guess.

Seven have been arrested so far, HPD says.

Investigators got a tip that the workers were selling copper to Latino's Scrap Yard in the 300 block of East Mount Houston. They set up surveillance and saw a City of Houston truck pull up with two employees who unloaded "several pounds of copper and brass from the truck for the purpose of selling it to the scrap yard."

Material was taken from at least four city sites since January, investigators say.

Two other suspects, Terry Whiting (b/m, DOB: 12-20-65) and Robert Fitzgerald White (b/m, DOB: 8-19-68) are charged with felony theft by a public servant and have turned themselves in and posted bond. Two additional suspects, Seferino Rios (H/m, DOB: 4-23-67) and Stephen Segundo (H/m, DOB: 10-28-69). are also charged with felony theft by a public servant and remain at large, but are expected to turn themselves in.